Australia retain Ashes with 185-run win over England in fourth Test

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Australia retained the Ashes with a 185-run thrashing of England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Victory left Australia 2-1 up in the five-Test series ahead of next week´s finale at the Oval.

England, set a mammoth target of 383 to win, were dismissed for 197 on the fifth day.

Craig Overton, who batted for 105 balls, was last man out when lbw to Josh Hazlewood for 21.

Australia paceman Pat Cummins, the world´s top-ranked Test bowler, had second-innings figures of 4-43 after teammate Steve Smith, top of the corresponding batting standings, scored 211 and 82.

That took Smith´s tally for the series series to 671 runs at 134.2 including three hundreds, despite missing England´s one-wicket win in the third Test at Headingley with concussion.

Brief scores

Australia 1st Innings 497-8 dec (S Smith 211, M Labuschagne 67, T Paine 58, M Starc 54 no; S Broad 3-97)

England 1st Innings 301 (R Burns 81, J Root 71; J Hazlewood 4-57, P Cummins 3-60, M Starc 3-80)

Australia 2nd Innings 186-6 dec (S Smith 82; J Archer 3-45)

England 2nd Innings 197 (J Denly 53; P Cummins 4-43)

Result: Australia won by 185 runs

Series: Australia lead five-match series 2-1